Abstract

This paper focuses on the current position of political science in Italian universities. In doing so, it aims not only at providing a purely descriptive account, but also at evaluating the general status of political science in Italy. The analysis of the academic status of a subject helps us to understand what kind of general status it possesses within a country. The number of people teaching political science, the kind of institutions it is taught in, and exactly what is taught, all provide an understanding - albeit not an exhaustive one - of some of the essential conditions influencing the real status of political science in Italy. After a brief historical introduction, detailed figures are given regarding the number and distribution of political scientists in Italy's universities, and the courses currently offered in the field of political science are described and discussed. In the second part of the paper, the author gives his views on the current state of Italian political science, which he considers to be not dissimilar to that of other countries, and they subsequently invite the reader to reflect on the need for an increase in its social status. At the same time, some reflections are presented about the risk Italian political science could fall into without a more conscious collective strategy aimed at improving its own position and status in universities.